An Update on the Tanzanian Blog Project: It’s Working!

It’s been almost a week now since I left home in Australia to visit Tanzania to see if it was possible to use blogging to give a voice to those who may not have one—more specifically, to people living with disabilities in developing countries.

I spoke a little about the “why” of this trip previously, but after three days visiting the hospital that the visit is based around, I’m now seeing the reality of the opportunity at hand.

What I expected

Some of what I’m doing is similar to what I expected:

I’m meeting children and adults with disabilities and I’m telling their stories.

Doing this leaves me with a real mix of emotions and feelings. It’s confronting, I’ve felt real sadness, I’ve had moments of hope and joy, I’ve been overwhelmed, and I’ve been inspired.

The response of those who are reading the posts and tweets I’m making has been fantastic—the topic and medium have obviously connected with many.

I feel myself changing. I’ve made trips to developing countries before to see similar projects and I know that each time I do, I return home a different person. This is certainly the case again.

What I didn’t

However there have also been a few unexpected things happen this week:

I’ve had opportunity to talk to the team at the hospital itself about their own use of social media and blogging.

I’ve learned a lot about blogging and seen the potential for using the medium to produce real-time coverage of such events and to promote great causes.

I’m having a lot of ideas for future projects.

All in all it’s been an amazing week so far. If you’ve not already done so check out some of the posts I’ve written in the last three days:

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Comments

Great post. To tell the stories of under-resourced children with disabilities is inspiring and a noble calling. Thank you for speaking into to this giving a voice to those that currently don’t have one.

I think we can learn much from much from young people and social media from this region. In today’s post on my blog, I wrote about The Generation Changing The World And What Churches Need To Know http://wp.me/pVReH-V8.

Darren this is absolutely superb. I love way you’re using blogging to change the world, not just make a living. I have “Change the world one blog at a time” on the back of my business card and I’m totally passionate about that. Thank you so much for spreading the word, using blogging to make a difference and bringing Africa to our homes.

i’ve been keeping up with your posts on tanzania (for selfish reasons), but this is the first time i’ve commented.

i’m a missionary and development worker in geita, tanzania, a small rural town just south of lake victoria. and i wanted just to thank you for your willingness to come to east africa and serve. i really appreciate your desire (and ability) to raise awareness among the readers of your blog. may you be blessed as a result of your being a blessing to others.

Indeed blogging in our part of the world (EAST AFRICA) can tell these kind of stories and link some donors and impact investors with the underpriviledged, It’s a wonderful thing you are doing here Darren, May God Bless You

I love what you are doing! And I know I’m still pretty new to this blogging thing, but please let me know if I can do anything to help you! I’m already (re)tweeting your tweets and posts but I’d love to do more. And keep up the good work!

You have a brilliant way to organize plans though there are things that you least expect. But still you capture and generate values as an end result. It’s too apparent by the comments of your blogs that you’re admired of those values. Keep up the good work!

Darren why not turn our gaze away from the rich and focus it onto the poor, of which there are billions. Help them gain Internet access. For this to happen, we need to get rid of all the “features” and produce a basic, simple device that enables a peasant in a poor country to access and learn from people over the world. The device must be cheap.